Terrace
by Ruth Lechner
Summary: Takami becomes a ninja, and finds a kindred spirit in Gaara. I update frequently.
1. Average Day at Konoha Academy

My first Naruto fic. 4th story overall. I've had a lot of ideas concerning Naruto but I published this one.

* * *

It was raining in Konoha. The clouds were a murky grey. I ran from my house to the academy. I arrived, but was still wet.

Class began on time as usual, Iruka sensei at the front talking about the history of Konoha as I listened. Everyone in class were having their own private conversations pretty much except myself, and Iruka sensei smacked his stick on his podium to get everyone's attention again.

Since it was still raining outside, Iruka sensei let us have playtime in the classroom. Everyone immediately turned to their friends and the chatter grew loud like someone turned up the volume on a radio.

I heard sputtering and a cry out before someone fell nearby me, obviously tripping down the stairs next to the aisle seat I was in. I looked over with my chin in my hand.

"Be careful, Naruto." I said, and he looked up in surprise then seemed to stare at me for a long time. I didn't know why but I got tired of it and looked away.

"Alright, class, settle down. Now for our second lesson of the day,"

* * *

"I'll beat you and win him first, Ino!"

"Yeah, right, forehead girl," A confident, girlish voice replied. I could picture Ino flipping her long blonde ponytail. "Sasuke's _mine_."

I passed them on my way home and neither noticed me.

* * *

I got home and called that I was home, taking off my purple and green backpack and sliding it into my hand. I heard my mother moving about in her room and I went to my room to study my clan's jutsu scrolls.

* * *

It was lunchtime at the academy on a more frequently occurring sunny day. A boy grunted as he threw a red ball into a hoop, his team winning the game.

I sat outside with my packed lunch, eating some pocky my mother made every now and then. I liked to treat myself every now and then when I was doing a good job - studying well. As I enjoyed the treat from underneath the shade of a tree, suddenly a boy hung down from the branch above me, arms out, before his breath hitched.

"Maaa - you're not those boys." He said. He'd been trying to prank the same group of boys all day. I looked up at Naruto, annoyance written on my features.

"Go away please Naruto. I'm trying to eat."

"Owaah -" He jumped down and leaned down over her bento box. I guarded it. "That looks so good..." He looked like his mouth was watering.

"Here." I threw a western styled sandwich at him. "Now leave." I requested.

* * *

"What do you mean, Forehead girl, say that to my face!"

"Fine, Ino pig! I said, Sasuke would _never _look at you!"

The two girls screamed and tried to rip each other's hair out as I passed them.


	2. Receiving a Gift

"And what is the answer to question three?" Iruka said in succession about the five questions written in white chalk on the blackboard.

Everyone hummed and stayed silent, bored of this. I tentatively raised my hand and Iruka's expression opened up.

"Yes, Takami."

"Lightning country?"

"Very good!" He beamed. Everyone turned and looked at me. They turned back and the room livened up a little in conversation.

"Class!" Iruka tried, but everyone ignored him. He singled out a boy in the middle of the class. "You! Hoda! Do you have something you want to share with the class?"

"Eh... no, sensei."

"Will you listen now?"

"Yes, sensei."

"Alright."

* * *

I was staring out the window another rainy playtime, my feet dangling over my chair happily when someone came up to me. I thought they wanted to get past, so I moved over a bit, but they stayed next to me. It was a boy.

He apologized, touching his glasses in front of his face.

"I really admire you..." He said, before handing me a wrapped bento lunch. I liooked at him in supreme surprise because no one ever came to speak to me. I had no idea what to do, but I took it from him and thanked him for the food.

"Ne, my name's Yoru Akioshi."

I nodded, thanking him again. I happened to look over in the class and there were some girls looking at me giving me the evil eye. I awkwardly looked back at the window.


	3. School Trip to Hokage Mountain

This is the real chapter 3, the last chapter that was posted as Chapter 3 was the wrong chapter.

* * *

Everyone was gathered outside in the front yard with their backpacks on when I arrived in the morning and I wondered why. Then I remember it was a school trip to see the Hokage mountain. I'd forgotten my slip, and I told Iruka sensei. He sighed, touching his forehead protector and I smiled shyly.

"No worries, Takami-chan, you'll just stay with everyone else that isn't going. Okay?"

I nodded my dead, ducking it.

"Have fun on your trip, Iruka sensei."

He smiled at me and led the group of children and supervisor parents who volunteered out of the academy gates like a momma duck with ducklings. I didn't feel too upset, the Hokage mountains were seen if you were just in the street. I saw them before, but I could look at them again later.

* * *

My supervising sensei was Mizuki. I didn't feel great about him. His class was taken by another sensei to the Hokage mountains too, but he stayed behind to finish grading his classes tests.

The other two people with me that I knew was Sasuke and Naruto. Then there was this kid that sleeps all the time that I didn't know. I guess he forgot his slip too.

I opened the sliding door to the classroom I was unfamiliar with, and Mozuki sensei looked up from his desk directly in my vision.

"Ah, another who didn't go on the trip, eh? Thank you for actually coming to class, most try to skip on days like this." I walked in when invited and saw Sasuke Uchiha and Naruto Uzumaki. The latter was drooling in the side of his mouth dozing off onto his hand and Sasuke was sitting with his hands in front of his mouth. He looked surprised when I walked in. Don't know why.

I sat down in a random seat not too far away or too close to the two. When I pulled my chair out Naruto sat up quickly yelling something about ramen. I was used to his screaming, being in a class by him that was frequently held up due to his escapades, but Mizuki sensei tried to keep a patient face when he asked him to keep it down.

There was silence for a while and I decided to open up my backpack, taking out my homework from Iruka sensei. I had all of my equipment for the day in my backpack that was unneeded. Since Sasuke didn't have his backpack today I assumed he didn't forget about the trip but rather he had no one to sign for it.

I pulled out my pencil, for some reason being the most interesting thing in the room to the boys but I ignored them and started filling out my name and the date.

"Kana-san," I heard from Sasuke. I looked over at him. He wasn't moving from behind his hands. "Ne, why are you not going on the trip?"

"I forgot my slip." He looked away with his eyes and I returned to my homework.

Eventually conversation started up between Naruto and I.

He leaned over and whispered conspiratorially behind his hand, everyone still hearing him considering how loud he was.

"Thank you for the sandwich, by the way,"

"No problem," I staged whispered back, even though we were two seats away from one another.

"What are you doing?" He staged whispered like we were so far away.

"Homework," I replied.

"From who?"

We were both in the same class.

"... From Iruka sensei, Naruto."

He looked very shocked.

"We had homework?" He said in his usual voice.

"Dobe." We heard near us. I looked uninterested on any more conversation and returned to finishing my homework. I was soon done and when the bell rang it startled me.

* * *

Since it was only the four of us the playground looked massive and deserted. Naruto tried to amuse us by getting in a tree and hanging upside down, but we were all bored. The one kid that was sleeping kept sleeping and Sasuke, I was surprised when he sat down with us, well Naruto and I under a tree. I was going to go to the library and study some more, but I changed my mind when I saw how deserted the playground was and I sat down too.

I took out my lunch, noticing since I'd forgotten the extra bento box in my backpack. I looked at it then closed my backpack.

Naruto's stomach grumbled audibly as Sasuke also got out his own lunch which apparently was the only thing he brought with him today.

"Awww man," Naruto grumbled, scratching his head. "I didn't pack a lunch again..." He whined.

Sasuke ignored him. I looked around. The boy wasn't here, and I wouldn't be able to eat two bento. I held out the other box to Naruto, who looked surprised when he saw something in his face. When he saw my blank face he beamed like the sun and grabbed it, opening the contents and wolfing it down.

As he opened up his chopsticks I heard him go 'ah' as I fed myself some rice. He paused then his brow went in a confused twist.

"You make bento with fruit cut out of yourself? Ano, and who's this?"

Brows burrowing I looked over and Naruto showed us a bento with rice balls of two people together - myself and Yoru. I didn't know they were there, and everyone saw it. That was embarrassing.

"Its not mine," I said, returning to my food. "It was a present."

"Huh." said Naruto. He dug in the next second, devouring everything quickly. He burped. Sasuke and I ate more slowly. I looked between them.


	4. Yearning for a Friend in Sakura

I watched Sakura answer a question in class and felt admiration for her. Then she turned around and grinned victoriously at Ino, pulling down her eyelid.

* * *

Sasuke beat Naruto in the spar. Iruka sensei noted Sasuke as the winner, calling up Chouji and Shikamaru. Sasuke hmphed and went to go sit with the rest of the class.

"Oh man," Kiba grumbled next to me. "Why does he keep pairin' them up? They won't fight each other." True to his word, the friends stood opposite each other in the chalk ring on the dirt ground, Iruka trying to convince them to fight.

"He's just doing his best." I said. "Preparing them for the world out there. You may have to fight your friends one day."

Kiba looked at Sasuke's arrogant face and felt annoyance.

"Teme thinks he's so cool! What makes him so special?" He grumbled. I said nothing.

* * *

I watched Sakura leave school. I thought she was so cool, without the whole rival thing over Sasuke she had with Ino. I thought she cared too much for what others thought. I wanted to go talk to her, ask her what she thought on some topics we were covering in class, you know, to start conversation and to hear the way she thinks. But she was too far away now and may be needed home. So I turned around and walked home through Konoha's back alleys.


	5. A Fight

When I came home from the academy I heard my mother tinkering in her room. I paused at the doorway, and contemplated going in, maybe for a hug or just for some conversation. In the end, I went to my room and studied.

* * *

I watched the other kids play with the ball on the playground. I watched them pass it to one another, running across the chalk drawn court. I was never interested in joining in, but it was fun to watch.

I heard and saw someone sit down next to me on the grass. I was sitting under my tree again, the one no one else sat under. So I was surprised when someone approached me.

I was irritatedly disgusted at who I saw, and why they would affiliate themselves with _me_.

"Sasuke Uchiha?"

"Ah." He acknowledged without looking at me, staring forward. I looked forward with an irritated scowl on my face, my two black ponytails on the side of my head swishing. God I hated his company. He was so boring. Avenge this, avenge that. At least he was quiet, so I could forget about him. But he was more irritating to me than my father.

"I thought you hide from your fan girl's at times like this?" I said, referring to playtime. Anytime outside of the classroom, he was typically avoiding all the fan girls.

He took out a lunch and began to eat.

"Ah."

See how irritating he was?

I kept looking at him with an open mouth.

"_Why _are you _here_?" I asked, hoping my intense resentment of his presence would repel him all the way to Suna.

"Shade." He gestured up to the tree, the only shady spot in the playground and it was a hot day. See how easily I repel people? This guy's not getting the picture...

He 'hn'ed and smirked.

"And, you don't talk much."

I stared forward with a largely irritated scowl. He looked only amused at my irritation. It brought fury to my veins. Absolute fury.

* * *

"I'm... deeply sorry for calling you in, Kana-san." Iruka sensei rubbed the back of his head. "I'm so sorry for the inconvenience."

"No." My mother said shortly, strictly, my wrist in her tight grasp. "I'll be sure she'll be dealt with accordingly." She wouldn't look at me. I tsked with a glare and gazed down. I noticed Sasuke Uchiha across the yard, all the other parents having taken their kids home already. When I saw him, my irritation lessened and my face went blank. I didn't care anymore about him. I'd gotten all my anger out in the fight and I didn't even care to think about him anymore.

"Must be the heat, hey?" Iruka said, trying to lighten the mood. We _were _in a heatwave.

My mother turned and yanked me home.


	6. Takami and Naruto at Playtime

I arrived at the academy next day with some bruises. For my 'impudence' and the 'shame I'm bringing to the family' by picking and starting fights, especially with someone of the Uchiha family - the last one too!

* * *

Mizuki was with Iruka standing by the academy before the bell rang and the kids were going to come in.

Mizuki laughed.

"The Kana clan are tough on their kids!"

* * *

The white page swirled before my eyes. I could see my hand holding the pencil, swirling too. The whole world was spinning. I looked up to see the blackboard and the clock. It had only been five seconds. I blinked and everything returned to normal. I refocused on my blank test and began to fill in the answers with ten minutes left until we had to stop.

* * *

The academy bell rang and I grabbed my backpack from the cloakroom before I walked out with it on my back. I saw my mother standing impatiently in the courtyard with her arms folded. I pretended to look ashamed and embarrassed, avoiding her eyes and shuffling up to her. She curtly turned and walked away, walking me home. I was seven - it's not like I couldn't walk. I felt ashamed of those thoughts and looked up at my imposing mother's tall back, her long black hair, and I felt silly. She was my mother, I was supposed to respect her and love her, and most of all, I was supposed to be like her. I swallowed and waddled home behind her like a duckling behind a momma duck.

* * *

I was sitting underneath my tree, back to everybody, eating my rice bento lunch. I sniffed, the bruises were here and sometimes made it difficult to move throughout the day. My sniffing was out of anger.

"Maa - " Naruto fell like a sack of flour out of the tree above me. I delicately put a grain of rice on my tongue. I'd known he was there.

He sat up with a pout, rubbing the back of his head. He was resilient, which is why I did not help him. I knew he was resilient because of how he kept bouncing back after everyone laughing at him, people beating him up, people making fun of him. He could handle falling out of a tree.

"Maa! Where did those boys go?"

"_Who_?" I asked with a furrowed brow and condescension.

Naruto looked around with swift turns - left - right. Then he sat down with a deep lunged groan and fell back on his back like a teddy bear. I edged away, not liking him entering my space.

He suddenly jumped up energetically.

"Those boys! I was going to play a prank on 'em the other day, but," He wiped his hand over the back of his yellow pant's pocket, then he sweatdropped. "Never mind..."

He suddenly regained all his energy again, making me jump a little.

"HEY! You're the kid that beat up Sasuke, right?"

"...What."

"Yeah!" He sat down, very friendly with a big grin on his face. I was still edged away from him. "Yeah! It was time somebody stood up to that guy!" He punched the air.

_Too bad it wasn't me! Heheh... it's gonna be me next time!_

I returned to my food and ate.

"Say uh... you don't happen to have any extra?" He grinned cheekily. I shook my head. He slumped. But it was the truth. I honestly didn't have anything.


	7. Sasuke's Proposal

Needless to say Sasuke didn't approach me again after that day.

* * *

I didn't care about my grades before, but I started caring. I started answering questions in class and participated more in activities. I always studied but that was for studying. I was as passive as a rock when it came to the class itself. Now I started pursuing the reasons as to why I got answers wrong. I sincerely never cared before now. But if it was my future, and it prevented me from being bored out of my head with life, then I would do it. Without being prompted I went to my clan's training gardens when no one was around and just practise my Kenai throwing until my elbow felt stiff. Then I did the other. It was mindless, but I'd need it in my sparring in class. And I'd rather do this than be at home doing nothing.

I went to the academy and was more assertive in learning from Iruka. I asked questions, probed him, thought about what he was doing or telling us. People looked at me but I'd rather know than not know.

Because I was more vocal and physical (like in sparring) with my knowledge, I gained admirers. People started following me, and copying what I did. They even tried to sit with me at lunch but I wasn't having it, because it was my tree before they knew I existed or liked me and it was still my tree. I wasn't sharing it with anyone. And I especially wasn't sharing my presence with everyone. These idiots.

Sasuke didn't seem to get the idea.

He approached me quietly when we entered class one morning and were sitting in class waiting for Iruka to arrive. His hands were in his pockets. With a blank stare I raised my eyes to his.

"Hn. That was impressive, your sparring yesterday." He said quietly. I didn't think anyone else could hear him.

Why would I care for what he said? Seriously, did he think I was like the other girls? I scoffed and looked out my window next to my desk.

"...I think we should sit together at lunch."

"Right." My voice dripped with sarcasm.

"You're like me." He said, insisting. I'd never seen him care enough to insist about anything. "We're both different. I've never met another person like me before. You and I are all each other has."

I stared at him incredulously throughout the speech.

"Think about it." He closed his eyes and walked away.

* * *

I glared at him during the lesson. Stupid idiot, did he think I needed anyone? Did he dare assume that he wasn't as boring as everybody else? What put him on the same level as me anyway? Yes he's smart. He's prestigious. Comes from a good family. That did not make him different like me. He was still like everyone else in my eyes.

And still, the prospect was exciting. Someone like me? Someone who can challenge me? But I knew how it would end up. He'd be like everybody else. Ordinary. And I'd feel bitter resentment and disappointment over the prospect of a challenge, gone.

The bell rang for lunch and I walked out of the building, for a moment thinking in emotional vulnerability that he'd deserted me, then I saw him standing outside the door. How rare. He was usually running away from the girls.

He smirked at me.

"Have you thought about it?"

"It took two seconds to think about it." I walked past him. "And the answer is no."


	8. Comfort at the Lake

I stood up in class to answer a question. After Iruka praised me for getting it right, I made to sit down. The kid in front of me, a guy with a dorky hat, mumbled something loud enough for me to hear and it made my heart stop. I'd been insulted before. My character's been insulted before. By girls, by boys, my people I liked and people I didn't. This boy fit in the neutral category, yet what he said and how he said it somehow hit me, struck a chord with me. I sat down.

It bothered me for the rest of the day. His words. They weren't something I even thought of myself of. I thought myself weak and cowardly. But he said something else. Even when I tried to distract myself by focusing on something else my mind drifted back to it. Now I know what Naruto must feel like. People made jokes or made fun of me sometimes, but it never hurt me like it seemed to hit Naruto. Sure, he made it look like it bounced off. But to the trained eye, one could see inside, he was crying. I sat on the edge of Konoha's lake, which was near my house, and just stared at the other side of it. I liked the peace and tranquility, when there were kids playing near it, like in the back alleys which I took my way home in. But I was bothered.

I felt and heard something next to me on my right. I felt my cheeks were wet and I wiped them with my hand as the thing, I saw a person, sat down. I looked at who it was then I leaned back on my hands again like I had been before.

I had no idea what was going through his head, but I didn't mind his presence so much as before. I tolerated it for now.

* * *

Sasuke had no idea what to say to her. He had no idea what happened. That was a lie - he had some idea. It was right after that kid said something to her when she sat down. She'd been different all day. She'd turned down his proposal, a peace offering in part, but that didn't stop much. He would still keep an eye out for her - caught, when he'd seen she wasn't like other girls - and he'd find his ears listening to what she said when she spoke, when she was correcting people or answering Iruka's questions on their textbook content or about his lecture. He'd seen her by the lake and had wanted to come by and just - well, he didn't know what to call it, offer his support? But since he didn't know the exact problem, other than she was bothered by what someone said to her, he didn't know how to fix it. But sometimes, someone just needed to be with you in silence when you were upset. That was how he felt after his family were murdered.

* * *

Sasuke picked up a rock and skimmed it across the surface of the lake. It plopped four times before descending finally with a small 'plurp' into the water forever. I looked at it then, pretending I hadn't been looking at it, looked at something else.

Sasuke had his chin tucked into the large upturned collar of his shirt, I noticed, when I peeked. He was staring at the water with his leg propped up. I wondered why he was here. I wondered why he would be here, since most stayed away from my presence after I spurned the offer of their company. I sighed, mostly out of boredom and looked at the blue sky and the clouds.

After a modicum of time, I got up from my energizing place. I said goodbye and put on my backpack, walking away to the alleyways, where I would go home. I didn't particularly want Sasuke knowing where I lived, but I was tired and didn't want to dilly dally finding an alternative route which really wasn't worth pursuing.


	9. A Walk with Hinata

The next day at the academy was a normal day for any nine year old before I happened to look across the classroom and saw Sasuke sitting on his own, as usual. But it got me thinking. I didn't particularly feel indebted to him, but saying thank you is what people did, didn't they? When the lunch bell rang I caught up with Sasuke before he could disappear - like he always did at lunch time - and he looked almost a little surprised to see me there, talking to him.

"I just wanted to say thanks," I said, flicking my hair just because I felt like it - it was in my face. I started wearing it down, now. It went to my shoulders. "For yesterday," I said. Then I winced. I didn't mean to insult him by implying he didn't have a good memory.

There was a sparkle of mischief behind his black eyes.

"Ah." He said. His hands, as usual, were in his pockets, and he tucked his chin into the collar of his shirt while closing his eyes. He turned around and walked away. I watched him, silently thinking of whether I wanted to invite him to sit with me or not. In the end, I decided I didn't want to. But instead of sitting on my own, I decided to try sitting with Chouji, Shikamaru and Kiba. They were happy to let a girl sit with them because I'd gone up against Sasuke in that one spar and beat him. I liked that they gave me approving greetings after they realized who I was, but then it got boring when I realized they were still immature boys. I left, bored, and went to sit under my tree by myself. Naruto didn't arrive, which I only noticed later when he arrived late for school, an hour before the academy was going to close for the day.

* * *

The classroom was quiet. I sat with Hinata. We were both quietly gluing our project together. I liked how quiet Hinata was. I thought she had some good ideas. I was surprised at my patience for being able to listen to her, because my mother always criticized me for my lack of patience. Hinata had long winded stuttering whenever she opened her mouth, and she was used to being overtaken in a conversation, or cut through, or just plain ignored and/or never heard. I guess I sympathized with those experiences, which may be where my patience stems from. It wasn't enough for me. I had to be all-patient, like the deity on my mother's shrine. I could sympathize with Hinata because people found what I said boring, or they just never listened in the first place. It was a constant source of frustration - every time I opened my mouth, no one listened or took me seriously. It was honestly the bane of my life. When considering it all, I had so many blessings - a healthy body, clean water, good, nutritious food... and more, but I just wanted to be heard and understood by somebody. I don't get it at home, I don't get it at school. What am I supposed to do? Get better, of course. But I've gotten better, and people still don't understand or listen to me. I wonder if I'm inadequate.

"A-A-A-Are you o-o-o-o-o-ok-k-k-kay, K-K-K-K-K-K-K-K-K-K-K-Kana-san?"

It was only when Hinata spoke to me did I become conscious of the furious furrow in my brow as I glued my paper together.

"No." I answered with an annoyed tone. She flinched, snapped her head forward (she was sitting next to me) and went beat red. I sighed. Reigning in my tone was always so hard. It always hurt people. "I'm sorry," I said, not realizing that my tone suggested I didn't mean it and was just saying it. "I was just thinking about something. I'm not mad, at you, or anyone. I'm just frustrated." I returned to my work.

"A-A-A-A-Ah." Hinata nodded, her word being affirmation to my statement. She fiddled with her hands, then shyly returned to her work, far more hesitantly and doubtful of her work than before. I rolled my eyes. I can't believe she'd let me effect her like that. I didn't even mean to come off annoyed I just - did.

She only ever called me by my last name, even though I gave her permission to use my first. I thought, what the heck, I like her presence. I didn't mind it. She wasn't imposing or cried out over Sasuke and she didn't try to constrict the way I think, talk, and live. She just accepted me, let me have my own thoughts and think what I wanted without putting her opinion on me. She was the closest thing to a friend I had. I didn't call her a friend because we weren't that close, and also, if I called her my friend and showed her more sides of me, she'd go away. I was generally unlikeable. And I liked the nice, pleasant acquaintanceship we had going. It was always pleasant to see her face and be near her. It would be a shame to ruin the one relationship I looked forward to everyday, aside from my relationship with Iruka sensei. But I didn't look forward to it. It was a positive teacher - student relationship but I looked forward to Hinata's company over Iruka's. But my relationship with Iruka was just pleasantly neutral. There were no obligations, no hidden agendas, and absolutely no personal expectations. I could do well on my own terms.

* * *

I had my backpack on my shoulders and I was about to walk home when I saw Hinata waiting outside the academy gates with no parent with her. I stopped and let my presence catch her eye. When it did she gasped and looked away. I would have taken that as a sign of rejection but then I remembered what Hinata was like and I stayed where I was. She looked hopeful and turned to face me from the few feet away that she was.

Eventually, I said,

"Hi, Hinata-san."

She blushed and smiled at me.

"H-H-H-Hi, K-K-K-Kana-san."

"Takami-chan." I told her. I disliked the suffix, but I knew she wouldn't use the suffix anyway and it was the sentiment that mattered.

She nodded her head quickly, her short dark brown hair shifting a little in the difference in weight from her head.

"O-O-O-Okay."

I was surprised by how easily she'd turned and looked at me. Actually looked at me. Like I was any other person. Now this was just weird.

"A-A-A-Ah, K-K-K - T- T - Takami-san," I waited. "Are you going home?"

No duh. The academy had been out for a while already.

"Yes."

She furiously nodded her head with an earnest hum, looking determined to say something.

"M-M-My c-c-c-c-c-cousin is-isn't here..." She gulped like she wasn't used to saying so much in her little voice. "C-C-Can I-I-I-I w-walk w-w-w-with y-you?"

Like I'd turn her down.

"Sure." I said, with a light heartedness to it because I was just happy. I turned and started walking. The only reason I agreed was because I knew we COULD walk a bit together before splitting off, she to the Hyuuga compound and I to the Kana cottage. In Konoha the Kana's stayed in a small estate called the cottage. But the heads of the clan lived in Lightning Country. I wouldn't have agreed to let her walk with me if we couldn't walk together - it just wouldn't be feasible.

I heard the clattering of her navy ninja shoes behind me as she rushed to catch up. I was small, but she was slightly smaller than me. We trailed along the cobbled street path together. A chuunin walked past reading a book, there was another leaning against a street post as we past. Geez, do these guys lounge around all the time? When I become a high up in Konoha's government I'm going to whoop them into shape. And if they're being given a break between missions - then get out of the uniform! You're confusing people!

"To be honest, I'm surprised you're walking with me." I said, hands in the pockets of my blue shorts.

Hinata looked at me and listened, dainty hands near her face.

"W-W-Why, K - T-T-T-Takami-san?" I let her finish her sentence, even though I knew what she was going to say, because I knew how important it was to feel like you were being listened to, like what you said mattered, no matter how trivial it was.

"Most people don't like being near me. They don't like me. I'm unlikeable."

Hinata looked bothered about this but I was surveying our surroundings as we went down a minor hill.

"P-P-Pardon?" She said. "I d-d-d-don't think y-you-you're un-unlikeable, T-Takami-san."

"Oh, thanks." I said offhandedly, but I was a little surprised. "Most people... I don't know. They just don't like being around me."

"M-M-Me... t-t-too." She said, looking at me, hoping to bond. I looked at her, taking in what she said, and we came to the road I knew she would need to take to get home. I gave her a small smile, which I didn't usually give to people.

"Bye, Hinata-chan." I said with a wave. She stopped, and looked incredibly pleased. She ended up being too shy to do anything, I deduced. I thought about walking her to her doorstep, since she didn't have her cousin around and everyone knew he was her bodyguard, but I wanted to respect Hinata and trust her enough to be able to get there on her own in one piece. Besides, she might like being alone for once, I thought. Constantly having a bodyguard with no personal, private space? I couldn't imagine.


	10. Family Visit

"Now remember, be respectful, be polite, be courteous. Bring honor to this family." My mother said sternly. My grandpa arrived to visit from Lightning Country. His son, my father, had always loved Konoha more than life itself. He got my grandfather into loving its beauty, as he'd said once, and took a seat at our table. He commented on how beautiful my mother was and how was life, how was Konoha at this time of year. We ate in silence, I myself relatively ignored except for the generic questions. My grandpa was friendly and easygoing, but I could tell I was not the point of the visit. I figured it out later. My mother was his son's wife, and from what I knew he treasured family. Or, I thought more accurately - other people would tell you the family part - he treasured anything that had to do with his son. Why I was still ignored in the face of this theory, I don't know.

My grandpa came in the doorway wearing a long robe and was smiling from under his white mustache. We went to the table and as usual in his infrequent visits we had dinner and I was silent as the two adults talked.

The conversation shifted to me for a few moments and my grandpa turned his attention towards me,

"So, Takami-chan, how is the academy?"

"It's great." I said. "I like what we're learning."

"Oh? What are you learning at the moment?" He asked, genuinely interested.

"Everything." What I meant was, I liked everything I was learning. Not, I was learning everything. But the man chuckled and smiled while my mother gave me a secret stern look but I had no idea what to do or what I'd done wrong. But before I could do anything, my grandpa started focusing on my mother again and they chatted. I returned my attention to getting more food, reaching out to the middle of the table. That was when my grandpa's head snapped to me, and my mother casually looked over.

I grabbed myself another helping of the side dish, unaffected by whatever my grandpa was going through.

His hands were lax on the table, for once not energetically moving about or constantly moving his utensils. It was strange, and he looked lame.

"She has the Kana spirit."

My mother blew on her food, eyes closed, before putting it in her mouth.

"That she does."


	11. Graduation Exam

The morning of the graduation exams I walked with purpose to my classroom. As always, I was there early. I sat down in my seat quickly. I was so focused on what the test would be I pretty much filtered out everything else. I wondered who my team would be, if everybody graduated. I couldn't think straight about it so I returned to focus on the moment and the ticking of the clock, the emptiness of the room.

I walked into the examination room to see a table of three sensei's and nothing else. I felt only a little nervous - I knew everything backwards because I studied so much. It was exactly like all my exams before in front of the class. But this was new, this was important, this was official.

"Alright, Kana-san," Iruka sensei smiled kindly at me. I stood with my feet apart, hands slightly away from my sides, my hands slightly sweating. "Perform a clone jutsu and make two clones." Iruka picked up his pencil and my hands were already in the appropriate position, and in a small poof two clouds of smoke appeared next to me, two identical me's appearing in the smoke.

"Very good." Iruka, Mizuki and my gardening sensei jotted something down on the paper. Adrenaline coursed through my veins as I waited for the next task, a sweat forming at my temple, my breathing becoming a little more ragged out of stress and anticipation. Iruka smiled at me.

"You pass."

"What?"

They chuckled. They took my confusion as surprise that I passed.

I walked over when Iruka offered me a forehead protector. He smiled at me.

"I knew you'd have no trouble."

With weak knees from the adrenaline rush, I walked out of the examination hall with a look of shock on my face, my forehead protector clutched to my hand. As I walked out, I heard Iruka call,

"Can you call in Sakura Haruno for me please?" He smiled.

I turned away from him slowly and walked down the hall to our classroom where everyone was waiting. I didn't care anymore. I was going to quit being a ninja. All of that work I did, for that? A lousy exam? Anyone can do a stupid clone jutsu. Did they want anyone to just pass the test? Then they'd go out there, without the stuff it takes to become a ninja, and get killed. Unnecessary deaths, unnecessary heartache for the family, and also, a loss of potential candidates for civilian jobs that also needed to be filled. What an idiot move. I thought the exam was supposed to be hard. Iruka told us all to study hard for it, he, and every other sensei in this academy made it sound like the graduation exam was going to be the most important one in our lives. I was in rage.

"Sakura, you're up," I called in a deadpan voice from behind the screen door. The class could no doubt see my shadow outside the door before I moved away, hearing an excited squeal from inside.


	12. I Am A Genin

I sat at the edge of Konoha's lake as the sun set that day, looking at my forehead protector. I was trying to decide whether to quit being a ninja simply because it wasn't challenging enough, or to keep going with something I found incredibly boring. I didn't like doing anything I had no challenge in. But no offense to the ninja profession, but it was an anti-climax for when I studied so hard only for the graduation exams, the sum of everything we'd ever learned in the academy, to be a lousy transformation jutsu test. It was the very first thing we learned. I could glean potential thought processes behind that, but I didn't have faith that was the reason. It was too logical for people.

Maybe it would get better? More challenging? But I was upset by this whole thing. In Lightning Country, their graduation exam was a survival test for 3 days in the forest. In the Mist, for a long time their graduation exam was for everyone to fight each other and the last one to stand graduated. I'm not saying that's what I wanted, but man, you earned being a genin in those places. How can I be proud of myself or being a ninja if it's so flipping easy to become one? If I know I'm working alongside people who just barely scraped past?

What if I just became a civilian, with all the work I've had to train to be a ninja? No job would be challenging enough for me. Being a ninja involved risk, danger, and you were only rewarded for as much as you prepared, and how great your talent was.

But if you became a ninja, and went high level, you would be prestigious, recognized, skilled, and sought out for those skills. That's what I was aiming for. You could earn good money, too. I sighed resolutely. I would have to stick with this. As I tied the forehead protector to my forehead, the metal showcasing my village gleamed. I would work next to idiots, until they would be picked off by more challenging obstacles or just quit, I would do stupid missions like rake leaves and walk dogs, but I would get to doing the things I wanted, needed, and craved.

My chin tilted upwards, the sun shining on my twelve year old face.

I was a genin.


	13. Genin Life

I didn't go to the graduation ceremony, because it was all standing on pretense. I already had my forehead protector, the ceremony was only to politically show off to other clans that their children were stars at passing a transformation jutsu test. My mother expressed that she wanted me to go, then on the morning of the ceremony, she sat eating rice for breakfast with the face on that said she didn't care about anything if I said anything. So I didn't go to the ceremony, much to my relief.

* * *

"Did you hear?" whispered the sneering kids on the playground. "He's the only kid that didn't pass..."

"That kid, Takami Kana didn't pass either..."

"What?" was the unanimous confusion. "But she was the best in all the exams!"

"She wasn't at the graduation ceremony! And neither was _that_ kid over there! Did you see when she came to get Sakura for the next exam, see how mad she sounded? She must have failed!"

"Oooh..."

"Guess she's no better than _Naruto _over there. Couldn't even pass a simple transformation jutsu test." A round of snickers that Naruto, sitting on the shaded swing under a tree alone, could hear. "Two deadlasts!"

* * *

The sun rose over the horizon and sunlight rose up Hokage mountain.

My eyes opened and I shot out of bed, going straight to the closet to get dressed. I hurriedly put on my pouches over my clothing, finished my routine, and hopped over the tall poles in the village of Konoha before making my way to the gate where my team met up.

7am. I'm there already. My team arrives, sluggish. We go do our mission, raking leaves for a grandma. It's sometimes difficult to get up in the morning. I tell myself when I wake up and when I go to bed, I just have to get through this before the real missions begin. Until then, I have to act like I'm important, like every day I'm waking up doing missions of significance, and I'll get there.


	14. Chuunin Exams: Part I & II

"Welcome to the first test of the Chuunin exams. Now, let me explain the rules."

As Ibiki explained the rules of the test, many different faces stared up at him. Sakura, Naruto, Sasuke, as well as the rest of the latest graduating class from Konoha's academy, along with other nation's competing genin. To Team 7, all of the faces were new. Some were friendly, some were deadly. Kabuto talked to them before the first exam, he seemed friendly. Then there was the Sound team who were openly hostile and antagonistic towards the three. A few competitive faces in the crowd were Neji and Lee. There was an indifferent face belonging to a red headed genin named Gaara. There were a few people who looked weird - like that guy from the Sound team who was wrapped nearly completely in bandages, then there was also a kid with a mask, and another kid _was _completely covered in bandages.

45 minutes passed and the test was finished. For the final question, many left to come back again next year. Those who stayed, to their disbelief, passed.

Takami was completely pissed.

Next, the second exam. Everyone stood outside the Forest of Death. They had to sign release forms. Anko raised an eyebrow at the kid with a mask.

The teams of three were assigned to a gate.

Anko said, "Alright? Get ready, go!"

* * *

One of my team members yawned. All day of running in the forest lead us to be tired. At first, my teammates had panicked, but now they were too tired to be. I felt scared, but I knew I, and my team, would pull through. Although I liked my team members, I hoped one of them would be incapacitated to lower the chances I'd face them in the battles after this. The third test, of fighting another genin. Whoever won, well, won. I assumed they would become Chuunin, but so far my assumptions hadn't gotten me far. I assumed I would get the tenth question of the first exam wrong, but by staying I passed. So maybe something else happened if you won. I pondered this, but I had to focus on my survival.

"We have a Heaven scroll. We need an Earth."

I had an idea of what to do, but I didn't think my team would be in on it. One team member of mine suggested a game plan for us to implement tomorrow morning. The other teammate and I agreed to his plan. Yumi was a follower, but smart. The one with the plan, Boton, liked to charge into situations. Our instructor, Jun, helped him while we've been doing missions to help him start planning things. But I think he took it on pretty easily. We agreed on the plan and went to sleep that night. When they fell asleep, I got up and jumped across branches into the forest.

I knew I was a genin, and alone, but I didn't see myself that way. I only saw my mission.


	15. Chuunin Exams: Part II

The next morning we woke up and packed up our things.

"Wow, I'm surprised we weren't ambushed while we were sleeping," said a male member of our team.

"Yeah," seconded the female member of my group. I just continued packing up my things before we started heading out.

* * *

"Alright, since we're probably behind everyone," said the one who made up this plan while we jumped through the trees. "we can probably sneak up on them, since no one will suspect us."

I made a grunt, and my team members looked over. I hated the concern in their eyes.

"Kana, are you alright?"

"I'm fine." I grunted. I was sore, tired, and I didn't get much sleep, because I had divided my energies last night to both protect the camp and to complete what I'd set out to do.

They didn't have time to focus on me, however, when the female member sensed something. She was a sensor type.

"Hold on!" She focused ahead. "We're coming across a team! But..."

We stopped in a bush before a clearing, where there were three Rain members lying unconscious.

"Is it a trap?" I said.

"I don't know," said the male. "I'll go in. Yumi, do you sense any traps?"

She focused.

"No."

"Alright. Wish me luck,"

"Boton..." Yumi said concernedly as he walked into the clearing. I knew nothing was going to happen to him. I'd set this up, after all.

"Nothing. No scroll." He stood up, looking towards where we were hiding.

"Shoot." I said. Yumi sighed heavily, then gasped. She covered her thoughts, however, looking towards me, even though I pretended to be looking at Boton, then said out loud for us both to hear,

"Let's get going," She suggested.

* * *

We moved all morning, occasionally running across other teams. The teams we found were all lying unconscious or injured, no scroll on their person.

We stopped to take a break because we weren't getting anywhere. Boton went off to 'the little boy's room' while Yumi and I waited against a mossy tree trunk.

Yumi turned to me once he was gone and took my shoulder, looking at my masked face.

"Kana, I know you went out last night when we went to sleep. I know you probably wanted to get the scrolls before us, or get some information so we could get a head start this morning. Please don't do it again, there's a killer out there whose taking the scrolls. You could get killed."

I nodded.

Boton came back and we got moving again.

* * *

Kankuro sighed and raised his arms in a stretch. Man, this was so easy! He just had to follow Gaara, and he had a free ride through the Forest of Death! Nobody here was a challenge for him.

"Geez, this is boring." He laid down his wrapped puppet on the ground when he and Temari got down to the forest floor for a rest. They had only just convinced Gaara of it, who only agreed because part of his agreement to destroy Konoha involved that in exchange he needed his siblings to get to the final act in one piece. So they needed rest, even if Gaara didn't.

Temari breathed raggedly, the bottom of her fan resting on the ground while the top was in her hand. They'd been traveling non-stop far into the forest.

"Shut up, Kankuro. You don't want him to hear," Her blue eye moved to the corner of her eye to where Gaara stood, far off, away from them.


	16. Making the Deadline

Thank you for the reviews

* * *

Gaara pretended he didn't hear his idiot siblings. He had exceptional hearing. Why did they think he couldn't hear them? It's not like he cared, they were just idiots.

Gaara's sea green eye slid to the right of his eye when he heard something far off in the bushes. He dismissed it quickly. Nothing in this forest could harm him because of his sand defense. He didn't care about this stupid exam.

"Temari, Kankuro, let's go," He said gruffly. He didn't have to speak loud for them to hear and he knew that. In the next second they were following him out of the clearing. The sooner they got a scroll the sooner they could get out of there.

* * *

"Hm," said the surveillance chunnin, looking at the video tapes. "It seems they're having difficulty getting scrolls from one another this year!" He observed as yet another two teams encountered one another, bluffed, but the end result was another one in a pattern - neither team had a scroll. The guy chuckled.

* * *

The deadline was closed for everyone to get to the tower with a scroll. Gaara and his siblings were the first to arrive. Everyone was astounded when they noticed that Gaara was completely unharmed. He ignored everyone. When the deadline closed, he looked over at the last team to make it. Right behind the annoying orange Uzumaki and his team was a masked ninja, a blue haired male and a quiet female. They were overlooked by everyone. Some people scoffed and others had a look of surprise that they managed to make it. Gaara kept his eyes on the masked one. Slowly he moved them off and stared forward boredly.

"It seems there's still a lot of you," Genma mused. "Looks like we've got to have some preliminary matches,"

There was a round of protests from nearly everybody except a stoic few.

"Oh no... preliminary matches?" said Yumi next to Kana quietly, into her fist. "I'm not sure if we'll be able to have a match so soon... I thought we had a month to prepare."

"Yumi-san," Kana said stoically from behind her mask. Yumi looked over in slight surprise to her very quiet team mate. "I haven't known you very long, and I know we became team members to enter the chuunin exams, but I'm sure you can get through it just fine."

Yumi's face brightened and her spine straightened.

"Hai, Kana-san! I'm sure we can do it, together!" She said, full of inspiration.

_Yeah, that's what I meant..._

"The matches will be one on one," said Genma in the middle of his explanation and Yumi 'oh'ed. Boton snickered at her. She glared at him.

"So, if there is no one else who wants to drop out," Genma coughed into his hand. "Go to the stands and wait for your name to be called. Congratulations on making the second exam."


	17. Preliminary Fights Begin

_I zoomed through the night, intent on taking everyone's scrolls that I could. It was an ambitious plan, but I was ambitious. No one became great by doing what had been done before._

_If I took as many scrolls as I could, I eliminated the competition. It didn't matter if I got the scroll I needed, as long as I took at least three tonight for example, there were three less teams to compete against, anticipate confronting, and battle for face to face. Yesterday before we went to sleep I pretended to do an exercise with Yumi where we connected to our surroundings. What I was really looking for were the other teams. She was a sensor type. She confirmed for me, backwardly, that there were no teams nearby but there was a large focus of chakra north of our location, but it was stationary. I headed there first.  
_

_A few hours later, I landed in a group of bushes where the sand team were. There was Gaara, Temari and Kankuro, the last two whispering to one another. They were too strong to take on by myself. I'd have to leave the scroll with them. I backed away quietly. In my bag quietly rustled, as I hopped away on the branches in the dark, four scrolls. Three heaven, one Earth. That was good enough for tonight. That ensured that at least four teams, maybe more, considering how there would be other inevitable confrontations between other teams, would not make it to the tower just on default - not having both scrolls. I didn't kill or hurt anyone, I just made them incapacitated._

_I had worked on solo missions when I graduated as a genin. I carved my persona, my mask. No one knew me. I had no team. For the Chuunin exams, they had to put me on a team. Thus Boton and Yumi. They are nice, and they are strong individually and together. I don't fit with them as a team, as three, but we all put up with it for the sake of meeting pre-requisites for the exams. Their team member moved away to another country to take on the family business, which was not a ninja business. When Yumi and Boton inquired as to why they've never seen me before, I told them I grew up in Lightning Country then became a genin in Konoha._

_"Ha! You came to the right side!" boasted Boton when I said that. I smiled with a hum behind my mask._

_On the way back to my team's camp, I found the Konoha team, who were with Kabuto. When Team 7 met Kabuto just before the first exam, I was also listening. His ninja info cards. I swiped them when they passed by where I was hiding in a tree. He, and the rest of the team didn't notice._

_I made my way back to the camp, but when I noticed I was being trailed I diverted off course. I came to a clearing where I could face them. I crouched on a branch._

_"Why are you following me?" I asked through my mask, my voice slightly muffled._

_"You stole my ninja info cards. You can't read those, they're chakra encoded."_

_I answered coolly,_

_"Whether or not I can read them, I have them and you don't."_

_He may not have information on me yet, but he had information on everyone else. And one guy with information on everyone would come back to bite me. So I took it. I didn't give a crap about the information on the cards, although when I thought about it it may be a good idea to use, but I did not want him having it. If I had it, he didn't have it. And if he didn't have it, he couldn't use it, couldn't add anything about me or my team, and couldn't sell the information to anyone._

_Kabuto looked surprised._

Sitting with my back against the balcony wall, I pulled out a ninja info card and hummed. It would be a good idea to use the information he had, but I just didn't care about anything in there. When I left the clearing, Sasuke went to follow me, but Kabuto held him back.

_"My cards aren't worth it. I don't know how powerful she is, but she managed to get the cards off me without me knowing. We have the scrolls we need. We need to make it to the tower."_

As I absently took out the deck and looked through the cards at a glance, I felt Sasuke giving me a glare to my mask. I ignored him. I felt a presence sit down next to me. I looked at her.

Yumi.

"What are those?"

"Nothing." I said, honestly. I put the deck away.

"Okay, first match," said Genma in the middle, like he was trying to motivate himself to get up one more stair and he was obese. "Computer," He called louder.

The first contestants went down and when Genma called, the match began.

I was so tired. So, so tired. I was up all of that one night, and it was expending energy. My eyes closed in my mask and I fell asleep.

* * *

Yumi was enraptured with the match below. Boton came and sat down on the other side of their silent, masked teammate. He did a double take at her.

"Hey, she sleeping?" He asked rhetorically, waving his hand up and down in front of her face. "I didn't know these matches were so boring,"

"Huh?" Yumi said, just noticing, and looked over. "Yeah, her eyes are closed. He." She giggled. Then in a sad note, she slumped, "The Forest of Death must have really tired her out..." She looked around at everyone in the room. "_Everyone_'s tired,"

"Except that red haired kid," said Boton lowly so no one would hear. Yumi's eyes went to the red head he was talking about. He had his arms folded, standing by the rail and watching the match below.

"He's scary," Boton said quietly. Yumi agreed with a timid nod of her head and a small hum. The boy's eyes turned their way and the two quickly averted their eyes to the match simultaneously, the person in the middle of them still sleeping with her head tilted back to the wall.


	18. Preliminary Fights Continued

It was the end of the third match.

"Ooh," said Yumi timidly into her fists. "I don't know if I can do this," She said, screwing her eyes shut.

Boton looked over with an open mouth,

"Sure you can!" He pumped a fist.

"But I'm a sensor type... I don't do well in combat, that's your job..."

"No worries, Yumi-chan! You can do this, I know you can! I believe in you!"

Kana stirred in her sleep at the loudness, bringing her teammate's attention to her.

"Naruto..." She said quietly.

"Who's Naruto?" said Boton with expressive furrowed brows.

Yumi and Boton shared a look. Yumi shrugged.

Boton's face whirled around at the mention of his name.

"That's me, I'm up!"

"Ah - good luck, Boton-kun!"

* * *

Takami awoke by a persistent hand shaking her shoulder. She was sore.

"Wha-"

"It's your match!" Boton said, quite loudly next to her.

"...Hm." She said, nodding off.

"KANA-SAN!" He shouted into her masked face, startling her awake and simultaneously making the nearby genin and their teachers look over. "It's your match!"

Not really registering what he was saying, she 'yeah yeah'd, standing up. Without really looking, since she was wiping her eyes awake, she didn't notice she was heading towards the waist high rail.

Jovially running up behind her, Boton slapped her back.

"Go get um, Kana-san!" She fell head first over the rail and landed on her face, attracting laughs from the crowd. She stayed there for a few seconds. She got up, dusting herself off, and walked forward, adjusting her mask in annoyance because of how it had hit her nose.

She came to the center of the arena where Genma and her male opponent stood.

"Che," She said, still sleep deprived and marveling at how bright the lights were.

Genma looked at her for a while before facing the front boredly.

"Alright, you know the rules. First person to be incapable of fighting loses. No restrictions apply to your techniques, equipment, and strategy. I will intervene before one of you dies. Hopefully." He coughed behind his hand and stepped back.

"Begin!"

At first, neither of them moved.

Kana saw on the large board above her opponents head, it said, 'Takami Kana vs. Gumo Sora'

"Gumo Sora?" She said rhetorically. "What kind of a fighter are you?"

That got a bark out of her opponent as he eased into a fighters stance.

"As if I'm gonna tell you that!"

She stared for a while at his 'mist' headband on his forearm.

"Guess not. Too obvious." She said, easing into her own sleepy, drunken stance.

He looked over her stance questionably, but said nothing. He gave a battle cry and lunged forward. She dodged to the side. He came back, swiping at her face and torso, Takami swerving out the way in time with each one. He gave a frustrated cry and when he was open Takami kicked him with a chakra infused limb in the torso, making the teenager fly back.

Takami waited, still, as he got up.

He glared at her.

"I underestimated you."

He came at her faster and harder now. Takami still swerved and dodged, but he got her throat. She coughed, her stance failing. Her hand clutched her throat. She couldn't breathe. He smirked and kicked her in the chest. She went flying and crashed onto the floor with a small amount of dust. She lay there, not getting up, trying to regulate her breathing. Takami sat up, turning her back to the opponent and lifted her mask, seeming to cough into her hand, although the audience couldn't see her face. She stayed there for a second.

Whispers started up on the balcony.

Gumo saw that he was standing idly, narrowed his eyes, and rushed at the female Konoha nin. The girl seemed to replace her mask. Gumo advanced quickly on the girl, who wasn't getting up.

"Che, you gonna make it easy for me, girl!" He roared, a hand in the air ready to strike Tiger style at the kneeling girl.

Suddenly Takami was up and engaging Gumo in hand to hand combat again, this time far more aggressive than her earlier pacifist tactics. As they sparred on the arena, it was clear to the audience that they were both evenly matched. It was Takami that changed tactics first. Getting a tight kick into his stomach, as Gumo slid back Takami quickly formed eight seals. As Gumo looked up he was assaulted with a tidal wave of water, pushing him back further. He fell across the arena, wet and bruised and cut. He struggled to get up, but did. He turned into a puff of smoke.

Takami was alone in the center of the arena. She looked left, right, up -

"KANA!" shouted Yumi from the stands.

She jumped just in time to miss the hands coming out of the ground to grasp her ankles.

"No noise from the stands!" yelled Genma, who then had a large coughing fit. The mist nin, who was oddly talented for a mist nin, rose from the ground with a sneer her way for besting him.

Takami, who had landed on the ground, was overwhelmed. What should she do? There were so many ways to defeat him, and to defeat herself, but focusing on him, which one should she do? Her mind was filled with equations and probabilities, and she had no idea which one to choose, so far she was going through the motions -

_I have to be serious. Finish it._

As soon as Gomu appeared from the ground she flipped and landed behind him, taking hold of his head and twisting it.

There was silence.

Gomu fell to the ground.

"Winner, Takami Kana!"

"He's not dead," She said to Genma. "He'll just be in a coma for a while. I didn't do it hard enough to snap the neck. I just twisted it enough for him to be in a pained unconscious."

Now she thought about it, she could have chosen something better. Damn...

Takami was numb with thought as she ascended the steps back to the balcony that she didn't notice the whispers start up.

"Is that _Takami _Kana? From the academy?"

"I thought she didn't graduate!"

"She killed a guy!"

"No one can tell who she is with that stupid mask on!"


	19. Aftermath of Preliminaries

Takami glided up the stairs, her legs hurting, and went to where her team was.

"Yeah-huh! High five! Good job!" She walked past Boton's raised hand and sat down in her previous spot.

"I'm going to sleep, good night."

Ino, who was nearby, 'psh'ed.

_She's just like Shikamaru!_

* * *

"Alright, see you in one month."

Dismissed, everyone left the arena for the one month break of the Chuunin exams.

* * *

"Woo! I can't believe that took so long!" Boton stretched when they got out of the building, the mass released onto the streets. The team were walking in the middle of everyone else who were in their own private conversations.

"You won?" asked Takami, since she sincerely didn't know.

"You bet!" He made eye contact with her and grinned.

"I won too..." said Yumi. She had her back straighter than before, and Takami could see that her confidence had a visible boost.

"Good." Takami said. They came to a stop in the middle of the street. "I guess... this is where we part ways?"

"Ha," giggled Yumi. "We fought a little in the beginning, but... I think we can be friends, the three of us." She laughed good naturedly.

"Yeah," Boton said, rubbing the back of his head, encouraged by the positive opinion of his teammate. "Yeah, I think we'll be seeing each other around,"

Takami nodded. She turned around and walked away from them without further ado.

"Good luck, Kana-san!" Yumi called.

Takami stopped in the street and turned around. She nodded. Then she disappeared.

Boton scoffed. The two teammates turned around and walked on together.

"You know, Yumi, there's always a chance we'll face each other in the finals."

Yumi looked away.

"I'm just kidding, Yumi!"


	20. A Clearing on a 2 o'clock Afternoon

I dropped from the roof of the house to my front door and entered using my key. I walked in, sweaty and tired, and dumped my nin pouches on my bed when I got to my room. I listened, and I didn't hear anyone. I flopped onto my bed.

When I graduated from the academy, I was taken in my the rest of my clan, the elders and the main settlement, in Lightning Country. I trained there and performed missions there. I only came back for the exams. And for the time being, I'd be living with my mother again. Things were as frosty, distant and quiet as they were before. I was stronger now, but she still didn't acknowledge me.

I slowly reached up and took off my mask. I slid it up off my face and let the material fall onto my pale blue sheet, the underside shining in sweat from the sunlight coming through my closed blinds. It caught my eye. I rarely took my mask off. In public - never. I only took it off to shower and sleep. If I was on a mission, I slept and showered with it on. I sat up slowly, intent on taking a shower. I left my mask on the bed, intending to clean the underside later. I'd been training all morning. I showered quietly and in two minutes - I liked efficiency and I didn't want my mom to pay for more water than I'd need. I didn't want to burden her. I kept my short hair short. I was only allowed to grow it longer when I reached 18. That was the Kana clan tradition. I hated tradition. It allowed no room for anything innovative, any improvement, that would have worked fine, even better, than the tradition. Tradition was stupid.

I cleaned my mask and put it on my bedside table. I went to the kitchen unmasked and I found my mother there, sipping tea. I felt momentarily naked in front of her without my mask and her stare boring into me. I went and made myself my own lunch, even though my stomach was empty and my muscles were sore. I persevered and ate on my own. When I sat down to eat, my mother got up, her finished cup still wafting steam from the beverage that had been there.

"Mother," I said before I could help myself. She stopped at the kitchen doorway. I was looking at her back. I don't remember trying to ask her for her company since I was very little.

_I passed the first two Chuunin exams, _I wanted to say. But that made me sound childish, and I wasn't childish.

"Never mind." I ate my noodles.

* * *

I walked down the market street. My mask was on and I had on a change of clothes. I had nothing to do. I never did, after I stopped training. Training was my life. Working was my life. There were no missions for me yet either.

I was glad there was no one I knew, because then I didn't have to hide or have an awkward conversation where they spoke and I ignored them. I didn't want to talk to anybody. Talking to people for recreation was in the past, before I had this mask. It was for when I was an academy student. Even then, it wasn't really for recreation. The same went for friendships and relationships. Relationships were stupid. They were for the times before my mask, when I was forced to be around others who believed in that sort of thing and I couldn't help overhearing their innane conversations about it. Now that I'm not forced to be around relationships, I don't initiate or develop them on my own. I don't need them for any clinical use. I never needed them for any clinical use. I'm not interested in developing them.

Main street, where all the markets and stalls were, came to an end, and I thought I may as well find a peaceful place to sit or something. I looked up at the cherry red Hokage tower as I past it. I went through the alleyways until I found a grassy clearing. I sat down under a tree there.

All the training grounds were fully booked by all the teams competing for the Chuunin exams. You had to book them. Priority was to Leaf Genin, but still. I couldn't go in except for my allotted slots in the morning. The spot on the ground under the tree where I was sitting was uncomfortable, there were rocks, and roots, and the ground was uneven on my bum. I eventually just stood up, wiping my behind of soil. I startled a little when I heard a quiet male voice,

"Kana-san."

I jumped a little and turned. There was Shino Aburame, crouched down behind the tree. With his glasses, I couldn't tell if he were looking at me or at the ground. But it looked like he was looking at me.

"Don't move. You'll startle them."

"Who?" I asked.

He nodded slowly. I chanced to take a step closer and then look down. He had his hands cupped on the ground behind the tree and there was what looked like a millipede slowly making its way on his hand. Seems he was looking down this entire time.

"These types only come out once a year..." He said in a voice I was sure many people would find creepy. I didn't say anything, because I didn't have an opinion and there was nothing to say.

The millipede went onto his hand and he stood up. He was completely focused upon his hand. The orange and black millipede contrasted his pale hand very much. I walked over a step to look closer. I didn't care I was standing near him, I was confident in my own space. We both looked at the millipede.

"What's it doing?" I asked.

"Cleaning," He said. "Cleaning off its legs and antlars."

"No way. Millipede's have antlars," I said. I truly didn't know. For all its legs I assumed that just made up for no antlars. I heard some kids laughing far off at some game they were playing. "You should keep that away from children," I said. "It could scare someone."

"That is correct. That is the general assumption. However, there are anomalies."

I leaned away from the millipede to look at his covered face.

"Who?"

"Why, I was talking about you, Kana-san."

I blinked.

"Oh, right." I guess so. I looked back at the millipede. "It's just interesting."

"I am in agreement." The millipede crossed one hand to the other in a fluid dance. "What is interesting is that centipedes and millipedes are not insects. Commonly mistaken as such. No, because insects have six legs."

"And spiders have eight? So they are not insects?"

"Astute, Kana-san." He said calmly. I pulled away from his hand because he was trying to keep the millipede from running up his arm. I couldn't tell if he was looking at me, the millipede, or straight ahead. Who knew.

"A beautiful specimen, but I already have one of these in my collection."

He put the millipede down back into the grass and it scuttered away.

We both just sort of stood there. I was blank minded, just staring ahead. I didn't think about what Shino would be thinking.

"Congratulations on your victory, Kana-san."

I looked at him with a perplexed expression, saying in a low, calm voice.

"Of what?"

"At the Chuunin exams." He pushed his glasses up his nose. I looked away at the tree. I felt comfortable in the silence that followed. I didn't care about his praise, his congratulations, his emotions, or his appreciation. I just didn't care. He could express it if he wanted, doesn't mean I cared.

"If I may inquire, why is it you are in this clearing?"

I didn't feel like answering him. I turned and tried to give sitting under the tree a second try.

"You may not inquire." I said calmly. I didn't even have a reason. Why did everyone need reasons all the time?

"Hm." I heard from a calm Shino. His hands were in his pockets. He stood and I sat. He stared out into the sky, the sun showing it was 2pm. I was content to just sit still in silence, and I assume he was content to stand still in silence, because he was still there. He was slightly in my way of seeing the sky, but I didn't care.

After a while I blinked my fixed gaze and pulled it away from the sky to look at Shino.

"Do you want to sit?" I thought questions like that were stupid because obviously, if he wanted to sit he would have just done it. Me asking made me look stupid, in my opinion. But this is what people did and for now, I wanted to look like I was one of the people.

"I respectfully decline, Kana-san. I have my own request. Can you please stand. Sitting that close to a tree may harm the ant groups there."

I stood up, annoyed.

"Why didn't you say anything earlier?"

"Why? I was thinking."

I scoffed and forcefully patted off my back. I was in a rotten mood now.

I gave him a forceful goodbye and walked off.

* * *

Note: I don't think millipedes have antlers, but I put that here because it flowed with the conversation. I put it in, then I looked up to see if they actually have antlers, and centipedes do but from the pictures, it doesn't look like millipedes do. Sorry.


	21. The Girl was in His Spot

Since I already had lunch, I just headed home. I didn't want to spend any money I had on food when I had all the food I needed at home. I did stop and look at an ice cream stand, but I decided I didn't feel like it. On my way home, I felt like I was being watched. I turned but I couldn't find anyone.

* * *

It was the next day and I was reading a scroll in the shade in the same clearing. I wasn't against the tree like before. The park was quiet and there was no one present. After some time I felt my focus come out of my book and I felt eyes on me. I looked around but I saw no one.

* * *

The girl was in his spot. This was _his _tree. Yesterday she was here, disturbing his peace, and today she was here, once again disturbing his peace. How she managed to pick his specific tree, he didn't know. But she had to go.

* * *

I stared up into sea foam green eyes. They stared down at me relentlessly. I stared back blankly.

It was the sand sibling Gaara. He was crouched on the branch above me.

"Hello?" I said, asking him if he had a problem.

He said nothing, he simply kept staring. I returned to my scroll for that day quite easily, not disconcerted by his staring. There was silence for the rest of the time I was there. When it reached 3pm, I got up and returned home, feeling that I was watched until I was out of sight.


	22. The Clearing

There's a moment in here where Gaara is OOC, but it will be explained in a later chapter.

* * *

"And that's the leg there," I pointed.

The millipede moved over the soil, pushing the blades of grass into curving for its path. Gaara looked fascinated. He was sitting next to me. Between us, the millipede manifested, and now he was peacefully walking away. I told him the things Shino told me about millipedes.

There was silence between us that neither of us cared to break. I liked silence. So did he. He stared at the grass by his legs, not where the millipede was, the other side. I stared at the grass further ahead. The clearing was peaceful and blissful. I liked being out here over being at home. The silence there was less comfortable and more tense.

I'm indifferent to Gaara's company. I don't care if he's there or not there. But the silence is nice. He doesn't ask questions, he doesn't have a need to fill the space with meaningless babble. I think he's okay with my company, after all, he's tolerated it so long, and he keeps coming back. I don't make him.

* * *

Gaara's chakra is so well hidden I sometimes never notice he's there until he's sitting down. Because he arrives by sand, however, I can sometimes hear it.

He uses his sand to get things, move things. Sometimes it hovers in the air like a hand. I just watch it. Sometimes I'm not interested in watching it. Either way, I'm unbothered.

Other than the silence, we have talked before. Just different things. None of the things people usually talk about, but about the different countries, about how trees grow, ninja weapons, for example. Nothing has entered the personal realm. I don't volunteer anything. He doesn't volunteer anything. And neither of us asks. It just never crosses my mind. I don't know and I don't care whether it does or does not in his.

We sat in complete silence. Around us the birds chirped, we heard children playing in the main street, and we felt the breeze. It smelt like summer.

"Konoha's so lively."

I waited to hear the rest of his opinion.

"In Suna..." I looked over at him from where I had my arms folded across my chest. He had his knee up and his elbow on it, looking down at the grass by his leg. "there's no color. Just... sand. Everywhere."

I started chuckling at his description, and I said nothing more. He said nothing more.

* * *

On the fifth day of meeting Gaara at midday, I didn't want to be there. I wanted some space. I wanted to spend some time by myself. I didn't go. I went and did something else.

* * *

"Do you train?" I said one day.

He hummed.

I brought a scroll with me and I opened it and started reading. He was in his own world. I read until the sun sets then I get up, close my scroll and leave without saying goodbye. He also leaves without saying goodbye. Neither of us expect one.

* * *

I think I've gotten far in my training. I'm practicing the exercises my sensei in Lightning gave me. I think I'm making headway. I mostly learn through the scrolls I read every day, though.

I'm reading my scroll when I feel his gaze on me. He never looks at me. He did, when we first met. He stared and stared and stared. I like that he's never looked at me, it's given me a feeling of space that I like and I also like how he doesn't obligate me to create a 'bond' with him.

Today, however, I can't concentrate.

I slap my scroll down on the grass beside me and put my temples in my hands. I'm so agitated. I had an argument with my mother.

"I don't expect you to care, or to understand, and I don't expect you to say anything either, but I'm going to tell you something. You don't have to say anything, you don't have to care, just listen. I had an argument with my mother, today, okay? It was right in the morning before I went to train. It's making me so agitated." There, done, I was finished. That was all I wanted to say.

I lay down on the grass and let out a big sigh, looking at the leafy branches above Gaara and I that were giving us shade.

"That's it," I clarified. "There's no more."

He was looking at me. I was looking at the branches.

"Hm." He said.

I sighed again, releasing my tension. I sat up. I leaned my side against the bark so I could have a different sitting position to read my scroll in, but I still couldn't concentrate. I sighed and rolled my scroll closed. I sat facing forward with my legs out like Gaara was.

"Today's not the day for concentrating then," I said out loud.


	23. The Training Grounds

I get to the training grounds on time at 8am. I look around the compound. I put down my stuff and I walk into the center. I go back to get my water bottle and when I turn around, he's there.

I'm stiff, my posture straight. My fists clench.

"What are you doing here?" I ask, my voice low. This is a boundary of mine. I am alone when I train. No exceptions.

He simply stares at me, leaning against a tree, arms folded. There's something intimate about watching someone train. And there's something about Gaara specifically, watching me train.

"I want you to go away."

* * *

When she turns around, he's there.

He stares at her. At her small form, telling him to go away. This is the only time he's revealed himself to her while she's trained. He's been here the past few days, curious, bored, all at once intrigued by the slight girl before him. He can sense that she is strict on this. She wants him to leave. He wouldn't have revealed himself if he knew she wanted him to go away. There's a spark in the air as the two stare into each other's eyes. She's firm, holds her ground, doesn't back down. It's a staring contest.

Slowly he turns, and disappears into sand.

* * *

I relax when he's gone. But for the training session I can't think, because I imagine what it would be like if he did watch me. My performance is off. I leave the training ground feeling embarrassed about my performance that day, and embarrassed for how I looked doing it too. I viewed it in his eyes, not my own.

I didn't go to the clearing that day. I had no idea what to say to him, and I don't know what to think. I didn't want to be in his presence right then. I purchased an ice cream and I went home.


	24. A Day of Rest

The next day I'm in the market picking up groceries for my mom and I decide since I have some money from my missions that if something caught my eye and I really really liked it, I'd buy it. I go home with the groceries in tow and a slice of fruit from a stand from a small town known for this delicacy. The fruit is completely pink on the inside with an orange outside. As I eat it it's gone too quickly by the time I get home. That was so sweet. I put the groceries away. The previous night I decided to take a rest day from my training - everyone needed a rest - and I leave the house to peruse the town. I knew I'd find it boring, but surprises happen and I couldn't be in my house to meet these opportunities.

Three hours later at midday I feel calm. I feel relaxed. I feel better than I have in a long time. It takes me a while to realize that I'm lying on my side on some grass underneath a tree. It was not the clearing I recognized, it was a tree quite literally outside of the Leaf's gates, although I'm not visible from the gates. Before I think of how and why, I sit up, feeling completely refreshed. It's then I notice a presence next to me.

Garbed in multiple cloth, it's Shino. He's sitting cross legged near me, staring out into the forest, hands in his pockets.

I blink at him.

"Ah, you are awake." He said. "You have been sleeping for quite some time. A vulnerable girl alone in the forest, no matter how close to our gates, is still the forest. With the new faces and potential dangers at hand, I couldn't let a member of my village be in danger." I slowly understood that he was saying because of the amount of people, both ninja and tourists, he was watching out for me because of the potential dangers.

"Yeah well, I didn't mean to fall asleep." I rub my eye. How did I get here? I remember walking through town... Who knows. Maybe I behaved randomly and found a tree to sleep under. "How long was I asleep?"

"I have been here a total of thirty minutes."

"Wow." I sat up fully, slowly. "You were here that long? Thank you for looking out for me."

My eyes were sleepy and as my back leaned back against the tree bark I fell asleep again unintentionally.

When he observed the girl's eyes close, Shino slowly turned his head to face the girl more. She fell asleep again?


	25. Stepping it up a Level

Thank you for the reviews

* * *

My eyes opened. This time I was fully awake and I knew there would be no danger of falling asleep.

Shino's head slowly turned towards me.

"You have been asleep for nearly over an hour."

I didn't feel guilty about Shino staying here with me. After all, it was his choice, wasn't it?

I rubbed my hand over my face. I stood up, trying to get feeling back into my legs and arms.

"Thank you, Shino, for taking time out of your day to look after me." I felt something itchy in my foot and I took off my ninja sandal, sand falling out of the top. I stared at it for a while before putting it back on my foot. "Bye." I said cheerily to Shino, walking back into Konoha. "Thanks again!" I waved at him.

* * *

I went back to training for three days in a row. The break really improved my sessions. That's why I think if something isn't working, take a step back and rest. Not that my training sessions weren't working, I needed to give my body a rest so it would improve during our next session. And that's what happened.

I haven't gone back to the clearing. I needed space. I went to the Hokage tower and looked at the missions available, but they were C and D ranks missions being snapped up quickly by genin teams with trainers who were going to train their team out in the field. I felt slightly intimidated. I needed something like that, I thought. My instructor was a family member of mine in Lightning, but I had an idea. I needed experience with something outside of my clan otherwise I would fall short. I had to. I needed something different to win. And win I would. Not just in the Chuunin exams, in fact I'd forgotten about those for now, I was talking about being a konoichi in general. I needed something completely different that would blast everyone out of the water or I would fail. To me mediocre is not enough. Mediocre is failure. I need to be great.

"Lord Hokage," I addressed him. He noticed me slowly. "I request taking a B rank mission."

He smoked his pipe, and looked at me for a long time.

"I cannot allow that. Only Chuunin get B rank missions."

I turned and left the Hokage tower.


	26. Team Sand Siblings

She was not at the clearing that day. He could sense she wasn't coming. His black rimmed eyes opened. He disappeared in a whirl of sand from the clearing, intent on other things.

* * *

It was not a good idea to spy on other teams. While I could do so, because it'd been proved when I'd been in the forest of death that I could be within the presence of another team without them detecting me, as I thought about it I came to two conclusions. One, I wouldn't understand what they were saying anyway, because each team has had their on going conversations and training exercises. I wouldn't understand what I was looking at and what I was hearing. Second, I would have to study said team for a long, long time before I could understand and implement their practices into my own training. What if it was a bloodline limit, like with Neji or Sasuke? I wouldn't know enough to be able to practice it on my own anytime soon. And another thing, most of them were probably on missions. I'd spend longer time tracking them than actually learning anything new.

I had two options - go to the library and choose a scroll to learn from, which I always educated myself from, or I could continue practicing what my instructor gave me. Since I'd done that, I didn't really feel like going with the last option. I thought quietly to myself, leaning against a telephone pole in the middle of town, coincidentally looking straight into a ramen stand while doing so without really seeing anything, my eyes glazed.

Using chakra, I ran up the telephone poll. With my arms flat behind me, I ran to the gates of Konoha.

* * *

"Alright. Now Temari, you're first."

"But Baki, why do we have to train?" Kankuro grumbled from nearby, who was clearly disturbed by the green around him. So much green. Green leaves, green floor, green everything. He flicked a leaf.

"Because," Baki barked, then he softened his authoritative voice. "No one knows of our plan. We have to pretend to be like every other genin team - like we're actually here for the exams. That includes training. It would be suspicious otherwise."

Temari smirked in the corner of her mouth at her black clothed brother.

"See? Told you." She took out her fan and walked into the center of the training ground.

Baki stood to the side so he could observe Temari. It was then he took notice of a figure standing out in the open by the outskirts of their training ground.

"Can I help you?" His eyes narrowed at the female Konoha genin.

"Wow. No, I've just never seen you train before." She supplied readily. Baki felt rage. How long had she been standing there? How did he not see her? She slowly raised a hand in a small wave. "I forgot today was not my day to train. Never mind."

She turned around. Seeing her give up easily, Baki turned his head back to his student. Temari looked torn between starting or waiting. Baki gave a solemn nod.

* * *

It really was by pure accident that I came across the Sand team. I went completely blank minded when I saw them that I just stood out in the open. Thank goodness we were all here for the same thing, a peaceful reason. I could have provoked them otherwise. I saw them just as Temari was walking in the middle.


	27. Stepping through Life

Today when Gaara arrives at the tree, after a moment's deliberation and hesitance, he sets down his gourd by the bark of the tree and he takes his seat.

"Why?" He says. I would answer sarcastically, but there's something in his tone that stops me.

"Why what?" I ask quietly, shifting the scroll on my lap an inch so I could read further. The blades of grass by my leg swayed and caressed my skin.

"Why do you sit with me?"

"Why does the sun shine? Why does the flower grow? Why does Shino wear glasses?"

I looked over him.

"I just do."

I looked back at my scroll.

I had thought about not going back to the clearing where Gaara and I would meet. But I decided against not going. I wanted to go. So here I was, on another day.

We didn't need to fill the silence with meaningless words, we didn't need to say anything. Nothing had to be said. The silence was full, poignant on its own. We were conversing by saying nothing at all. Being filled up with rich silence. The harmony was eternal. For the length of my stay in the clearing with Gaara, it was like one moment. One moment... full, of everything. It was like everything existed, everything was present, everything was full, when I sat in that clearing with him. If I had to define it or explain it, it would chase it away. It was a ghost of pleasure that only stayed where it wasn't required, where it wasn't grasped, clenched, and strangled. If I even thought of its presence, it would leave, content to find a company welcoming enough to not second guess the meaning of its presence.

The last exam came and went. Gaara was a part of destroying Konoha, but Naruto and the rest of the genin teams stopped him. I couldn't believe him. I realized, for the first time, when I looked at him, how much of a destroyed and lost soul he was, fractured and broken enough for it to be visible right in his skin. I felt like I was looking at him for the first time.

The village held the Hokage's funeral. It was a dark time in my life. I was taken back into the house in Lightning Country - where I had done missions for them before the Chuunin exams, trained and learned the clan's way, their ninja way. I was now trained again. I heard nothing from my mother during this time. I strangely ached for her. I don't remember aching for her since I was a little girl. But I ached. I cried at night.

The time came where I was allowed to lower my mask. No Kana could take off their mask until they were initiated completely into the clan's ways at 15, and additionally I could not grow my hair until I took up a title of responsibility in my clan. So it remained short to symbolize my status. Without my mask, I felt naked in a crowd, but after some time that faded. I still had some lingering self consciousness without my mask, but no one seemed to have a problem seeing me without it. I was now a recognized part of the clan. I was not an individual until I was initiated in the clan's ways. To the rest of the world, it was a brutal way of raising children, but that was the Kana way. It produced fine warriors, ninja and kunoichi.


End file.
